happy new year. 2002. a palindromic year. the first since 1991 and the last until 2112... which, barring some breakthrough in medicine, none of us will live to see. so, make this year a year of palindromes, and a year to remember, because you won't see another. think of how lucky you are to live in this age where we have 2 palindrome years within 11 years... and think of the millions born after 1881 who died before 1991 and never lived to see one. yeah, you're lucky. you also survived the turning of Y2K and the Millenium...

and a whole lot more this year. 2001 will be remembered for "september 11", that tragic day whose events can only be referred to by the date they occured on not what transpired, because no one in the news media came up with a catchphrase for them soon enough. maybe it's because "new york" is too broad - tons of shit goes down in new york. not that much shit goes down in oklahoma city, or in waco, or at columbine high school. so we use the date.

what else happened in 2001? I started the year by knowing that I was going to Stanford. I turned 18. i made the Texas All-State Band. I went to my senior prom with a guy who I thought to be the love of my life. In fact I spent a good portion of 2001 on that one. Even rang in the old new year with him. Kind of seems like a waste of time in retrospect. someone once told me that if it didn't feel like you were wasting time when you were doing it, then it's not wasted time. wise words. anyway. 2001 brought my high school graduation... the pantyhose rebellion, "why can't you just accept things the way they are for once, kat?" "when was the last time that did any good?" who's at stanford and who's at baylor? that's right. a cruise... to the carribbean, not to Bora Bora... oh, that boring job. hideously boring job. found a friend to keep me occupied, however, during those long hours... that was fun. then three planes hit world landmarks, i flew the next week out to california, and my life started anew. new friends, roommates, classes, books, homework, midterms, reading... mike... i remember talking to JP after my first date with mike and recounting the minutes and asking him if he thought i'd score a second date... and look at me now. (: funny how that works. anyway, i say goodbye to 2001 with a wonderful family, amazing friends, an incredible """boyfriend""", and a 3.57. i win.

may the new year smile upon us all and bring us as many joys as the old.

"yeah, life has a funny funny way of sneaking up on you when you think everything's all right and everything's going great... life has a funny funny way of helping you out." -alanis morissette